


The Midnight

by Lacertae



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - No Sburb Session, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Dave is his usual cool self, Dirk is a bit creepy, Flushed Romance | Matesprits, Lil Cal creeps even the Midnight Crew, M/M, Tavros plays the tuba, Urban Fantasy, cabaret
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-26
Updated: 2012-06-26
Packaged: 2017-11-08 14:28:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/444177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lacertae/pseuds/Lacertae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For the HSO Bonus round 1,</p><p>DaveTavros<br/>Cabaret + Urban Fantasy</p><p>During a particularly important night at the cabaret, Tavros meets an intriguing stranger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Midnight

**Author's Note:**

> HomeStuck is making me write so many AUs. XD This one was particularly funny to write, I admit. I hope I did justice to the prompt.

When he arrived at the nightclub, most of the parking slots were already full, which surprised him a bit.

He always travelled with the windows down –unless it was raining- so as he got closer he could hear the music and the laughter coming from inside the closed doors, the dulled notes of a famous Jazz song familiar to his ears.

He carefully slid into his reserved spot, aligning his car perfectly and checking a few times before sliding out of the driving seat; he kept his bag on the seat in the back, so he carefully picked it up before clicking the car shut.

The ‘Midnight’ was not a huge nightclub, all things considered, nor was it really famous, but stylish enough to be pleasant; he had worked there for years now, one of the many artists who went there on their free time, performing in front of faceless strangers.

Tavros Nitram, 12 sweeps old, had moved to the big city when he was six with his best friend; both of them had found their small niche, satisfied with the change, and had settled there, neither willing to go back.

As he moved to the back entrance, Tavros caught the eyes of a few familiar patrons –habitual clients of the ‘Midnight’– and hesitantly waved at them, lips twitching into a nervous smile.

Even though he was an artist and performed in front of a crowd, he still found it hard to interact with people on a daily basis; the bartender of the ‘Midnight’ always used that to make fun of him, but it was just a good-natured jab, and Tavros never took offense. Still, being alone on the stage, lights low enough that the rest of the world disappeared behind that veil of darkness, blurred away… it was different. He didn’t have to feel self-conscious about anything –there was just him and his music.

Tavros was an artist, and he enjoyed playing, and that was enough.

The inside of the ‘Midnight’ was packed full; it wasn’t even a weekend night, so the sight was somewhat unexpected, and Tavros felt a small lurch of anxiety hit his bloodpusher as he manoeuvred his way through the crowd and towards the bar.

“Hey Tavvy, you look totes good!” the woman behind the counter turned around, smiling and sliding a shot of gin towards one of the men waiting there. “Ready for your performance?” her cheeks were slightly flushed, sign she had already tapped onto her reserves of martini.

Licking his lips nervously, Tavros vaguely pointed at the unusual crowd. “What’s with, uuh, all the people, today, Roxy?”

The bartender shrugged, “dunno,” she admitted. “Gotta ask Jakey in the back, he’ll sure know! Go and make ‘em swoon!”

While still anxious, Roxy’s warm behaviour always had the ability to cheer him up; if she wasn’t already taken, Tavros would have asked her to fill his pale quadrant slot, but he had been on the receiving end of one too many drunken speeches about her best friend, so he never brought the subject up.

Leaving the counter, Tavros shifted to the backstage, noticing that the song had come to an end, followed by applauses; there was only one more artist scheduled before his turn arrived, and Tavros quickly went to the dressing room.

Another one of the workers was there, observing the various artists with a pleased expression; the moment he saw Tavros walking towards him, he smiled brightly at him and waved him close.

“Tavros, old chap, I was waiting for you,” eyes darting around, he pulled him even closer. “I have brilliant news for you!”

“Uhhh, what is it, Jake?” fidgeting a bit Tavros glanced towards the stage; Dirk was slowly making his way up, dragging his creepy puppet with him for his performance. Tavros hastily looked away –Lil Cal always kind of scared him.

“There’s going to be a big shot tonight, yes sir,” Jake was still smiling brightly at him. “Some sort of big name, Janey assured me”.

Jane was Jake’s long lost sister –Tavros didn’t really know the details, it was a bit too complex and when Jake started recounting the story it made his thinkpan hurt– and she was the sole heir of the infamous Betty Crocker corporation.

She was also one of the four founders of the ‘Midnight’, together with Roxy, Dirk and Jake, and all the artists had to be accepted by all of them before being allowed to perform.

Dirk was the one who hunted new artists down, Roxy was responsible for the public relations –despite her drinking habits, she was perfect for that– Jake worked overnight to make sure everything was spotless and followed the right schedule, and Jane was the one who kept the whole place together.

At Jake’s words, Tavros felt his throat constrict. He swallowed, mouth suddenly dry.

“Uh, Jake, when you say, er, big name, how big is it, exactly?”

Jake chuckled. “Real big, my old pal, that’s why there’s all this crowd of people tonight. All the performers are hoping for a chance, but we are not allowed to say who this mystery person is,” it was clear Jake was happy to be part of the whole secret. “It might be your one chance too, no sweat!”

“Uh, that’s not really, I mean…” a bit flustered, Tavros pushed the other away and fumbled a bit with his bag. “Not many, uuuh, chances this, big guy, will find my music good enough, really”.

Jake threw him an exasperated glare. “Man, you ought to shove it and show your guts, Tavros. You are good. Just do your best out there, and don’t bag out, understood?”

Cheeks colouring brown, Tavros nodded quickly and made his way to get his things ready.

Dirk’s performances never lasted long, but they were enough to scare the clients into silence; to be truthful, Dirk didn’t have reasons to do it –as the owner, he could find other things to do. Tavros had asked once, out of curiosity, but Dirk’s explanation had been layered with irony, until Tavros had given up trying to understand. He guessed the guy simply loved to parade his puppet around and scare people shitless, or something.

As he finished preparing his instrument, controlling everything a few times, the group who had been playing before Dirk rushed inside, most of them looking somewhat terrified.

Tavros could understand them –Lil Cal had that effect on everybody, no one ever got used to him.

They were a silent bunch, not speaking much but allowing their music to do all the talking, and they all had different interests; sometimes they fought in the backstage, but they always played their songs in perfect harmony.

They didn’t even have a name as a quartet, and everybody simply called them the Midnight Crew, as they had been there ever since the nightclub had opened.

“You next, trollboy?” the tallest one called out, voice a bit rough.

Tavros nodded, still feeling somewhat uneasy. “I’ll be out in the back for a few minutes, because I need fresh air, so, uuh… see you later, perhaps,” he waved at them and took the door on the left, which lead to a small patio outside, with enough space to fit a few trashcans and a bench.

Usually performers went there to have a smoke in-between sketches, and Tavros wasn’t surprised to see someone was already occupying that space; what surprised him was that it wasn’t a familiar face at all.

“Uuuh, I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there, at all, maybe I’ll just–” ready to go back inside, Tavros spun around, not wanting to disturb the stranger, but the other person waved one hand dismissively.

“Might as well join me,” he stated, taking a deep breath of his cigarette. “You smoke?” he added, pushing a small packet towards him.

“Uh, no, I think, it’s really bad for your health and, well, I play so it would be bad, for me…” he stuttered, feeling idiotic and promptly shutting up.

The stranger snorted, and through the dim lights coming from the door at his back, Tavros noticed that the guy was wearing a pair of shades, even if it was dark. His skin was really pale, and for a moment Tavros was entranced by the way he brought the cigarette to his mouth, one single, smooth movement.

From where he was standing, Tavros caught a glimpse of the stranger’s eyes, and had to restrain a gasp when he realised they were red.

“Are you, a rainbow drinker?” he asked before he could stop himself.

He regretted his words instantly and looked away, but the stranger simply snorted, his shoulders shaking in mirth. “I think you mean a vampire, bro, only you trolls can be rainbow drinkers, ya know”.

“Uh, yes, that was what I meant to ask,” feeling silly, and wondering whether he should leave or not, Tavros risked a glance at the human again. He actually looked almost familiar, in a way, but… “You, are _not_ , am I correct?”

“Blood tastes shit, believe me,” was the amused reply. “I’m Dirk’s bro,” he pointed a thumb towards the door. “Thought I could drop by and see what he’s up to”.

Tavros’ face brightened up. “I guess, you two do look, similar,” he commented diplomatically. “I’m Tavros Nitram,” he added afterwards, still smiling. Then he processed the information and frowned. “Shouldn’t you, I mean,” he tiled his head to the side. “Be in there, to watch Dirk’s show?”

The stranger snorted again. “I have all the time I want to check up on him,” the words sounded a bit like he was making some sort of inside joke. When Tavros simply stared at him, the human huffed. “I thought Dirk had told everyone by now. If not him, then Lalonde…” he glanced up, although Tavros couldn’t be sure since the shades were covering his eyes, and licked his lips. “I’m a Time Hopper,” he finally admitted.

With a soft gasp, Tavros took a step closer. “You mean, you travel through time? That is… fantastic! I always wanted to be able to do that, too!”

Dirk’s brother chuckled. “It’s not that easy, really,” he tried to downplay it, but it was clear he was pleased by Tavros’ excitement. “It takes a lot of energy. The furthest back I go, the more tired I am when I get there”.

With a soft smile, Tavros pressed both hands on the railing of the patio and looked up at the small portion of sky he could see peeking from behind the tall buildings around them.

“It’s still an awesome power to have, really,” he assured. “I can only, uuuh, commune with animals, and it’s a really.. hmm, a common trait for my blood colour”.

The human hummed softly. “We always like better what we don’t have,” he replied diplomatically. “I wouldn’t mind chatting with animals myself,” he added with a shrug. “Might be better at talking than a lot of people I know”.

Tavros found himself chuckling along with him.

They continued talking for a while, moving from subject to subject, and Tavros was surprised to realise how much he was enjoying the small talk, even losing track of time; Dirk’s brother liked to rap and even owned turntables, and surprisingly enough they found out they had a few friends in common.

Usually it wasn’t that easy for Tavros to get this friendly with strangers, but he guessed that since this was Dirk’s family, it was ok.

“So, what’s your role in here?” the question caused Tavros to blink in surprise.

“Uh, I play the tuba, solo,” he replied, shrugging. “My turn is right after your brother,” he added, suddenly uneasy again. “I, uhhh… am not sure I want to go out, tonight”.

He guessed Dirk’s brother was looking at him inquisitively due to the small tilt of his head, so he decided to explain himself further.

“There is, supposed to be some, uh, big shot, and I don’t want to make a fool of myself out there, not tonight, at least”.

One eyebrow peeked from above the shades’ line. “Why’s that? If Dirk lets you play here, it means you’re good,” he pointed inside. “And now I really want to listen to what you can dish out. Sure it’s going to be great”.

Fumbling with himself, Tavros felt his cheeks grow bright brown in surprise. He always was surprised when someone liked his songs, and he guessed Dirk had to like his style, otherwise he wouldn’t allow him to keep on playing, but to hear this guy say he wanted to listen to him…

It made his insides flutter, and not in a bad way.

“It’s nice of you to say that, really,” he replied, smiling despite himself. “I just wonder if I have any, uh, chance at all…”

“Do you enjoy playing?” the other interrupted him.

Tavros blinked. “Oh, of course!”

“Then it’s fine, just go and have fun, man, no need to think about big name with heads too full of money to care. Lay your sick beats down for this whole place to listen, and wipe the floor with that big shot until she’s screaming for mercy, got my drift?”

Unable to stop himself, Tavros chuckled, shoulders relaxing slightly. “I guess, uuh, you’re right, but what if my sick beats are too much for _you_ to bear?”

“Oh, shit man, have a bit of faith,” the guy brought one hand to his chest, mimicking a hit. “I could show you the right way to weave a beat so strong it would burn the whole ‘Midnight’ down to a crisp, but tonight’s not my night, right?”

Tavros shifted a bit and checked his watch, surprised to see only a few minutes had passed since he had stepped out in the patio. He glanced up at Dirk’s brother, who was smirking at him.

This time, Tavros understood, and smiled back at him.

“Uhm, yes, maybe you should go and watch your brother… perform?”

“Sure thing. And then I can spare some moments to watch you too, Tavbro, is that ok with you?”

“I’ll make sure, to dedicate you a song, then,” straightening his back, Tavros held the door open for the other. Then, a thought occurred to him, and he froze. “You didn’t, ah, tell me your name, though”.

The blond guy chuckled again, shaking his head in disbelief. “We’ve been talking for a while and ya still don’t know my name, you’re breaking my heart here, man”.

Tavros spluttered, but before he could say anything, the human snorted.

“I’m joking, Tavbro, really. Name’s Dave, by the way,” he added, passing right next to Tavros and heading back inside the nightclub.

Tavros followed him, feeling a bit silly but still pleased.

Talking with Dave had been relaxing, and he wondered why he had been so upset about the big shot –even if the guy didn’t notice him, it was fine. He had found someone to talk with and had enjoyed himself. There could be other chances for him later.

“But,” Dave’s voice stopped Tavros mid-step, “if you really want to make it up to me for not having asked my name before, you could do me a favour, big boy”.

Tavros waited for the human to continue, but Dave simply offered him a slip of paper with a number.

“Uhhh… what–”

“Call me,” Dave smirked. “I count on that, ok?”

With that he spun around and walked away, disappearing behind the heavy curtains separating the backstage from the main hall and leaving Tavros gaping in shock at the number in his hands.

***

When Dirk finally left the stage, leaving behind a shocked silence, Tavros quickly made his way to take his place, meeting him halfway and exchanging a fistbump with him.

“Uhhh, good show, Dirk,” he told the other performer, even though he had been cowering during half of it. “Did you see your brother there?”

Dirk stopped and peered at him. “You met my bro?” he asked, voice void of emotion.

“Uuh, yes, outside,” he chuckled a bit. “He is, nice. I didn’t know you had a brother”.

“Bro is like me, he likes his space, but we still keep in contact, otherwise Roxy and Ro would throw a fit. Now go and make yourself look good, Tavros”.

Tavros nodded and smiled; the microphone had been already placed in the middle of the stage, so he simply walked towards it, his instrument clutched tightly in his fingers, and took a deep breath.

As usual, the lights centred on the stage didn’t allow him to look at the people surrounding him, but for the first time, he found himself somewhat sad about it. Dave was somewhere down there, looking at him and expecting him to do his best, and he was going to show the guy he knew how to make a good impression.

And if the big shot, whoever it was, didn’t like it, well. It was their loss.

He had prepared a few new songs without even knowing there would be someone new to listen to them, and he guessed it was the right time to see if his personal compositions were worth something.

“Uhh, good evening,” he cleared his throat, feeling his cheeks turn slightly brown as he forced his uneasiness down. “I’m going to dedicate, this first song to a certain person, who is watching, and I hope he will enjoy it”.

He didn’t need to add anything else –Dave would know.

With practiced ease, he brought the tuba to his lips, and started playing.

The music surrounded him like a comforting blanket, chasing away all foreign thoughts, until all he could think about was the tune and the notes and nothing else, lost to the world, only he and his instrument left.

When he finished playing, taking deep breaths to calm his bloodpusher, Tavros opened his eyes, still unable to see the public, but instead of the usual mild response, the silence was quickly drowned away by applauses.

Cheeks flushed red, he continued to smile, proud of himself for his performance and wondering if Dave was one of the people clapping for him.

He still had a lot of songs to play, but he hoped Dave would stay long enough for him to finish, so maybe he could ask him in person.

If nothing else, he still had his number.

***

“You were quite right, Dirk, he does possess an unusual talent,” Rose tilted her head to the side, pleased, and regarded her sibling with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, dear sister, I never lie on these matters,” Dirk replied, tone smug. “Does this mean you will find some use for his talent?”

“Indeed, he seems exactly what I was searching for… I guess it would be only right to give him a chance to spread his metaphorical wings out”.

Dave groaned and rolled his eyes, though the motion was lost due to his shades. “Could you two just cut it out? I’m trying to listen to the guy up there”.

He realised he’d said something wrong when both Dirk and Rose turned towards him, sporting the same intrigued expression.

“Do I sense a particular interest, dear brother?” Rose smiled, and Dave caught in her tone the promise of many interrogations to come. “You never quite seem to enjoy this kind of music, is he really so good that he managed to entrance you, or is something else that is keeping your attention from wandering?”

He cringed.

“Tavros did say you talked to him before his performance,” Dirk added, lips twitching into an amused smile. “I guess he is something else, catching both yours and Rose’s attention at the same time…”

“It’s not what you think,” Dave denied, but cringed again when he realised his words sounded like an admission. “Oh, fuck you two”.

“I’d daresay you would much prefer to f–” Dave hastily covered Rose’s mouth before she could conclude that phrase, and felt her lips twist upwards.

He sighed.

“Tell me again why am I here?” he moaned.

“Because I didn’t want to come on my own,” Rose smirked, pushing his hand away. “And you wouldn’t allow your defenceless sister to go out so late without a proper escort…”

“Bullshit, Rose, we both know that you are as defenceless as a wolf among sheep,” he paused, then added “with no exit in sight. And the sheep wear big red targets on their coats. And the wolf is actually some alien-wolf hybrid with tentacles”.

Rose’s response was a knowing smirk, and Dave sighed, returning his attention to the troll on the stage, who had started another song and was playing through it effortlessly.

He was actually pleased with himself –he had accompanied his sister without really caring about this stuff –she was the one seeking new artistic talents, not he– but he was the one who had been rewarded in the end.

He smiled, head tilted away so neither Rose nor Dirk could catch it –it would only offer more speculation material, and they didn’t need it– and allowed time to tick away slowly, enjoying the music Tavros was weaving.

There would be time to talk later on, definitely. When it came to Dave Strider, there was _always_ time.

 

 

When he arrived at the nightclub, most of the parking slots were already full, which surprised him a bit.

He always travelled with the windows down –unless it was raining- so as he got closer he could hear the music and the laughter coming from inside the closed doors, the dulled notes of a famous Jazz song familiar to his ears.

He carefully slid into his reserved spot, aligning his car perfectly and checking a few times before sliding out of the driving seat; he kept his bag on the seat in the back, so he carefully picked it up before clicking the car shut.

The ‘Midnight’ was not a huge nightclub, all things considered, nor was it really famous, but stylish enough to be pleasant; he had worked there for years now, one of the many artists who went there on their free time, performing in front of faceless strangers.

Tavros Nitram, 12 sweeps old, had moved to the big city when he was six with his best friend; both of them had found their small niche, satisfied with the change, and had settled there, neither willing to go back.

As he moved to the back entrance, Tavros caught the eyes of a few familiar patrons –habitual clients of the ‘Midnight’– and hesitantly waved at them, lips twitching into a nervous smile.

Even though he was an artist and performed in front of a crowd, he still found it hard to interact with people on a daily basis; the bartender of the ‘Midnight’ always used that to make fun of him, but it was just a good-natured jab, and Tavros never took offense. Still, being alone on the stage, lights low enough that the rest of the world disappeared behind that veil of darkness, blurred away… it was different. He didn’t have to feel self-conscious about anything –there was just him and his music.

Tavros was an artist, and he enjoyed playing, and that was enough.

The inside of the ‘Midnight’ was packed full; it wasn’t even a weekend night, so the sight was somewhat unexpected, and Tavros felt a small lurch of anxiety hit his bloodpusher as he manoeuvred his way through the crowd and towards the bar.

“Hey Tavvy, you look totes good!” the woman behind the counter turned around, smiling and sliding a shot of gin towards one of the men waiting there. “Ready for your performance?” her cheeks were slightly flushed, sign she had already tapped onto her reserves of martini.

Licking his lips nervously, Tavros vaguely pointed at the unusual crowd. “What’s with, uuh, all the people, today, Roxy?”

The bartender shrugged, “dunno,” she admitted. “Gotta ask Jakey in the back, he’ll sure know! Go and make ‘em swoon!”

While still anxious, Roxy’s warm behaviour always had the ability to cheer him up; if she wasn’t already taken, Tavros would have asked her to fill his pale quadrant slot, but he had been on the receiving end of one too many drunken speeches about her best friend, so he never brought the subject up.

Leaving the counter, Tavros shifted to the backstage, noticing that the song had come to an end, followed by applauses; there was only one more artist scheduled before his turn arrived, and Tavros quickly went to the dressing room.

Another one of the workers was there, observing the various artists with a pleased expression; the moment he saw Tavros walking towards him, he smiled brightly at him and waved him close.

“Tavros, old chap, I was waiting for you,” eyes darting around, he pulled him even closer. “I have brilliant news for you!”

“Uhhh, what is it, Jake?” fidgeting a bit Tavros glanced towards the stage; Dirk was slowly making his way up, dragging his creepy puppet with him for his performance. Tavros hastily looked away –Lil Cal always kind of scared him.

“There’s going to be a big shot tonight, yes sir,” Jake was still smiling brightly at him. “Some sort of big name, Janey assured me”.

Jane was Jake’s long lost sister –Tavros didn’t really know the details, it was a bit too complex and when Jake started recounting the story it made his thinkpan hurt– and she was the sole heir of the infamous Betty Crocker corporation.

She was also one of the four founders of the ‘Midnight’, together with Roxy, Dirk and Jake, and all the artists had to be accepted by all of them before being allowed to perform.

Dirk was the one who hunted new artists down, Roxy was responsible for the public relations –despite her drinking habits, she was perfect for that– Jake worked overnight to make sure everything was spotless and followed the right schedule, and Jane was the one who kept the whole place together.

At Jake’s words, Tavros felt his throat constrict. He swallowed, mouth suddenly dry.

“Uh, Jake, when you say, er, big name, how big is it, exactly?”

Jake chuckled. “Real big, my old pal, that’s why there’s all this crowd of people tonight. All the performers are hoping for a chance, but we are not allowed to say who this mystery person is,” it was clear Jake was happy to be part of the whole secret. “It might be your one chance too, no sweat!”

“Uh, that’s not really, I mean…” a bit flustered, Tavros pushed the other away and fumbled a bit with his bag. “Not many, uuuh, chances this, big guy, will find my music good enough, really”.

Jake threw him an exasperated glare. “Man, you ought to shove it and show your guts, Tavros. You are good. Just do your best out there, and don’t bag out, understood?”

Cheeks colouring brown, Tavros nodded quickly and made his way to get his things ready.

Dirk’s performances never lasted long, but they were enough to scare the clients into silence; to be truthful, Dirk didn’t have reasons to do it –as the owner, he could find other things to do. Tavros had asked once, out of curiosity, but Dirk’s explanation had been layered with irony, until Tavros had given up trying to understand. He guessed the guy simply loved to parade his puppet around and scare people shitless, or something.

As he finished preparing his instrument, controlling everything a few times, the group who had been playing before Dirk rushed inside, most of them looking somewhat terrified.

Tavros could understand them –Lil Cal had that effect on everybody, no one ever got used to him.

They were a silent bunch, not speaking much but allowing their music to do all the talking, and they all had different interests; sometimes they fought in the backstage, but they always played their songs in perfect harmony.

They didn’t even have a name as a quartet, and everybody simply called them the Midnight Crew, as they had been there ever since the nightclub had opened.

“You next, trollboy?” the tallest one called out, voice a bit rough.

Tavros nodded, still feeling somewhat uneasy. “I’ll be out in the back for a few minutes, because I need fresh air, so, uuh… see you later, perhaps,” he waved at them and took the door on the left, which lead to a small patio outside, with enough space to fit a few trashcans and a bench.

Usually performers went there to have a smoke in-between sketches, and Tavros wasn’t surprised to see someone was already occupying that space; what surprised him was that it wasn’t a familiar face at all.

“Uuuh, I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there, at all, maybe I’ll just–” ready to go back inside, Tavros spun around, not wanting to disturb the stranger, but the other person waved one hand dismissively.

“Might as well join me,” he stated, taking a deep breath of his cigarette. “You smoke?” he added, pushing a small packet towards him.

“Uh, no, I think, it’s really bad for your health and, well, I play so it would be bad, for me…” he stuttered, feeling idiotic and promptly shutting up.

The stranger snorted, and through the dim lights coming from the door at his back, Tavros noticed that the guy was wearing a pair of shades, even if it was dark. His skin was really pale, and for a moment Tavros was entranced by the way he brought the cigarette to his mouth, one single, smooth movement.

From where he was standing, Tavros caught a glimpse of the stranger’s eyes, and had to restrain a gasp when he realised they were red.

“Are you, a rainbow drinker?” he asked before he could stop himself.

He regretted his words instantly and looked away, but the stranger simply snorted, his shoulders shaking in mirth. “I think you mean a vampire, bro, only you trolls can be rainbow drinkers, ya know”.

“Uh, yes, that was what I meant to ask,” feeling silly, and wondering whether he should leave or not, Tavros risked a glance at the human again. He actually looked almost familiar, in a way, but… “You, are _not_ , am I correct?”

“Blood tastes shit, believe me,” was the amused reply. “I’m Dirk’s bro,” he pointed a thumb towards the door. “Thought I could drop by and see what he’s up to”.

Tavros’ face brightened up. “I guess, you two do look, similar,” he commented diplomatically. “I’m Tavros Nitram,” he added afterwards, still smiling. Then he processed the information and frowned. “Shouldn’t you, I mean,” he tiled his head to the side. “Be in there, to watch Dirk’s show?”

The stranger snorted again. “I have all the time I want to check up on him,” the words sounded a bit like he was making some sort of inside joke. When Tavros simply stared at him, the human huffed. “I thought Dirk had told everyone by now. If not him, then Lalonde…” he glanced up, although Tavros couldn’t be sure since the shades were covering his eyes, and licked his lips. “I’m a Time Hopper,” he finally admitted.

With a soft gasp, Tavros took a step closer. “You mean, you travel through time? That is… fantastic! I always wanted to be able to do that, too!”

Dirk’s brother chuckled. “It’s not that easy, really,” he tried to downplay it, but it was clear he was pleased by Tavros’ excitement. “It takes a lot of energy. The furthest back I go, the more tired I am when I get there”.

With a soft smile, Tavros pressed both hands on the railing of the patio and looked up at the small portion of sky he could see peeking from behind the tall buildings around them.

“It’s still an awesome power to have, really,” he assured. “I can only, uuuh, commune with animals, and it’s a really.. hmm, a common trait for my blood colour”.

The human hummed softly. “We always like better what we don’t have,” he replied diplomatically. “I wouldn’t mind chatting with animals myself,” he added with a shrug. “Might be better at talking than a lot of people I know”.

Tavros found himself chuckling along with him.

They continued talking for a while, moving from subject to subject, and Tavros was surprised to realise how much he was enjoying the small talk, even losing track of time; Dirk’s brother liked to rap and even owned turntables, and surprisingly enough they found out they had a few friends in common.

Usually it wasn’t that easy for Tavros to get this friendly with strangers, but he guessed that since this was Dirk’s family, it was ok.

“So, what’s your role in here?” the question caused Tavros to blink in surprise.

“Uh, I play the tuba, solo,” he replied, shrugging. “My turn is right after your brother,” he added, suddenly uneasy again. “I, uhhh… am not sure I want to go out, tonight”.

He guessed Dirk’s brother was looking at him inquisitively due to the small tilt of his head, so he decided to explain himself further.

“There is, supposed to be some, uh, big shot, and I don’t want to make a fool of myself out there, not tonight, at least”.

One eyebrow peeked from above the shades’ line. “Why’s that? If Dirk lets you play here, it means you’re good,” he pointed inside. “And now I really want to listen to what you can dish out. Sure it’s going to be great”.

Fumbling with himself, Tavros felt his cheeks grow bright brown in surprise. He always was surprised when someone liked his songs, and he guessed Dirk had to like his style, otherwise he wouldn’t allow him to keep on playing, but to hear this guy say he wanted to listen to him…

It made his insides flutter, and not in a bad way.

“It’s nice of you to say that, really,” he replied, smiling despite himself. “I just wonder if I have any, uh, chance at all…”

“Do you enjoy playing?” the other interrupted him.

Tavros blinked. “Oh, of course!”

“Then it’s fine, just go and have fun, man, no need to think about big name with heads too full of money to care. Lay your sick beats down for this whole place to listen, and wipe the floor with that big shot until she’s screaming for mercy, got my drift?”

Unable to stop himself, Tavros chuckled, shoulders relaxing slightly. “I guess, uuh, you’re right, but what if my sick beats are too much for _you_ to bear?”

“Oh, shit man, have a bit of faith,” the guy brought one hand to his chest, mimicking a hit. “I could show you the right way to weave a beat so strong it would burn the whole ‘Midnight’ down to a crisp, but tonight’s not my night, right?”

Tavros shifted a bit and checked his watch, surprised to see only a few minutes had passed since he had stepped out in the patio. He glanced up at Dirk’s brother, who was smirking at him.

This time, Tavros understood, and smiled back at him.

“Uhm, yes, maybe you should go and watch your brother… perform?”

“Sure thing. And then I can spare some moments to watch you too, Tavbro, is that ok with you?”

“I’ll make sure, to dedicate you a song, then,” straightening his back, Tavros held the door open for the other. Then, a thought occurred to him, and he froze. “You didn’t, ah, tell me your name, though”.

The blond guy chuckled again, shaking his head in disbelief. “We’ve been talking for a while and ya still don’t know my name, you’re breaking my heart here, man”.

Tavros spluttered, but before he could say anything, the human snorted.

“I’m joking, Tavbro, really. Name’s Dave, by the way,” he added, passing right next to Tavros and heading back inside the nightclub.

Tavros followed him, feeling a bit silly but still pleased.

Talking with Dave had been relaxing, and he wondered why he had been so upset about the big shot –even if the guy didn’t notice him, it was fine. He had found someone to talk with and had enjoyed himself. There could be other chances for him later.

“But,” Dave’s voice stopped Tavros mid-step, “if you really want to make it up to me for not having asked my name before, you could do me a favour, big boy”.

Tavros waited for the human to continue, but Dave simply offered him a slip of paper with a number.

“Uhhh… what–”

“Call me,” Dave smirked. “I count on that, ok?”

With that he spun around and walked away, disappearing behind the heavy curtains separating the backstage from the main hall and leaving Tavros gaping in shock at the number in his hands.

***

When Dirk finally left the stage, leaving behind a shocked silence, Tavros quickly made his way to take his place, meeting him halfway and exchanging a fistbump with him.

“Uhhh, good show, Dirk,” he told the other performer, even though he had been cowering during half of it. “Did you see your brother there?”

Dirk stopped and peered at him. “You met my bro?” he asked, voice void of emotion.

“Uuh, yes, outside,” he chuckled a bit. “He is, nice. I didn’t know you had a brother”.

“Bro is like me, he likes his space, but we still keep in contact, otherwise Roxy and Ro would throw a fit. Now go and make yourself look good, Tavros”.

Tavros nodded and smiled; the microphone had been already placed in the middle of the stage, so he simply walked towards it, his instrument clutched tightly in his fingers, and took a deep breath.

As usual, the lights centred on the stage didn’t allow him to look at the people surrounding him, but for the first time, he found himself somewhat sad about it. Dave was somewhere down there, looking at him and expecting him to do his best, and he was going to show the guy he knew how to make a good impression.

And if the big shot, whoever it was, didn’t like it, well. It was their loss.

He had prepared a few new songs without even knowing there would be someone new to listen to them, and he guessed it was the right time to see if his personal compositions were worth something.

“Uhh, good evening,” he cleared his throat, feeling his cheeks turn slightly brown as he forced his uneasiness down. “I’m going to dedicate, this first song to a certain person, who is watching, and I hope he will enjoy it”.

He didn’t need to add anything else –Dave would know.

With practiced ease, he brought the tuba to his lips, and started playing.

The music surrounded him like a comforting blanket, chasing away all foreign thoughts, until all he could think about was the tune and the notes and nothing else, lost to the world, only he and his instrument left.

When he finished playing, taking deep breaths to calm his bloodpusher, Tavros opened his eyes, still unable to see the public, but instead of the usual mild response, the silence was quickly drowned away by applauses.

Cheeks flushed red, he continued to smile, proud of himself for his performance and wondering if Dave was one of the people clapping for him.

He still had a lot of songs to play, but he hoped Dave would stay long enough for him to finish, so maybe he could ask him in person.

If nothing else, he still had his number.

***

“You were quite right, Dirk, he does possess an unusual talent,” Rose tilted her head to the side, pleased, and regarded her sibling with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, dear sister, I never lie on these matters,” Dirk replied, tone smug. “Does this mean you will find some use for his talent?”

“Indeed, he seems exactly what I was searching for… I guess it would be only right to give him a chance to spread his metaphorical wings out”.

Dave groaned and rolled his eyes, though the motion was lost due to his shades. “Could you two just cut it out? I’m trying to listen to the guy up there”.

He realised he’d said something wrong when both Dirk and Rose turned towards him, sporting the same intrigued expression.

“Do I sense a particular interest, dear brother?” Rose smiled, and Dave caught in her tone the promise of many interrogations to come. “You never quite seem to enjoy this kind of music, is he really so good that he managed to entrance you, or is something else that is keeping your attention from wandering?”

He cringed.

“Tavros did say you talked to him before his performance,” Dirk added, lips twitching into an amused smile. “I guess he is something else, catching both yours and Rose’s attention at the same time…”

“It’s not what you think,” Dave denied, but cringed again when he realised his words sounded like an admission. “Oh, fuck you two”.

“I’d daresay you would much prefer to f–” Dave hastily covered Rose’s mouth before she could conclude that phrase, and felt her lips twist upwards.

He sighed.

“Tell me again why am I here?” he moaned.

“Because I didn’t want to come on my own,” Rose smirked, pushing his hand away. “And you wouldn’t allow your defenceless sister to go out so late without a proper escort…”

“Bullshit, Rose, we both know that you are as defenceless as a wolf among sheep,” he paused, then added “with no exit in sight. And the sheep wear big red targets on their coats. And the wolf is actually some alien-wolf hybrid with tentacles”.

Rose’s response was a knowing smirk, and Dave sighed, returning his attention to the troll on the stage, who had started another song and was playing through it effortlessly.

He was actually pleased with himself –he had accompanied his sister without really caring about this stuff –she was the one seeking new artistic talents, not he– but he was the one who had been rewarded in the end.

He smiled, head tilted away so neither Rose nor Dirk could catch it –it would only offer more speculation material, and they didn’t need it– and allowed time to tick away slowly, enjoying the music Tavros was weaving.

There would be time to talk later on, definitely. When it came to Dave Strider, there was _always_ time.


End file.
